Tank-closure.



No. 868,160. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907*. G. F. DE WEIN.

TANK CLOSURE. APPLICIATION FILED JULY 6, 1905.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. DE WEIN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORTO ALLIS-OHALMERSCOMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TANK-CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed July 6, 1905. Serial No. 268,479.

To all whom it may concern.-

spaced from the flange 21 by means of stud bolts 61 55 Be it known thatGEORGE F. DE WEIN, a citizen of i screwed into the flange 21 and havingthereon collars the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, has invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tank-Clo- ,sures, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to tank closures and has for its object theprovision oi means by which the head of the tank may be quickly andeasily removed and replaced, the bolts clamping the head in place beingswung back during removal of the head, but remaining in their relativecircumferential position on the tank ready to be swung back into placewhen the head is replaced.

The invention also provides means for removing bolts individuallywithout disturbing the other bolts.

Throughout the description, for convenience the tank is considered asbeing in a horizontal position.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a plan view of a top clamping bolt. Fig. 2is an elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of thetank and head showing one oi the clamping bolts in place. Figv 4 is avertical section of the same showing in dotted lines the bolt swung backinto an inoperative position.

2 Fig. 5 is an end view of the same looking toward the right in Fig. 4and the tank portion being shown in section.

A tank 1 is provided at an end with a strengthening annulus 2, rivetedthereto. This annulus has em.-

bedded in its end face, coacting with an annular projection 3 on thetank head 4, packing material 5. The annulus 2 and the head 4 areprovided with circumferential flanges 21, 41 respectively, these flangesbeing opposed to each other. The flanges are provided with transverseregistering slots 22, 12. The flange 21 on the annulus 2 is providedupon its plane face towards the tank with an annular groove 23, see indotted lines Fig. 3. This groove 23 is semi-circular in section.

A clamping bolt 50 is placed in each set of registering 4-0 slots 22,42. These bolts 50 are provided preferably with T heads 51, and each isprovided with a shank portion 52 of square section. The T heads 51 areround in section and it snugly into the grooves 23. The square portion52 of the shank of each bolt 50 loosely fits the slot 22 and preventsrotation oi the bolt on its axis when the same is not secured tightly inplace. The bolt is provided with a nut 53 which coacts with the flange41 on the outer face of the head 4.

In order to prevent the bolts 50 from being removed 50 from the closurewhen inoperative, a locking means must be provided. Such a means isshown in the drawings as a strip attached to the flange 21, immediatelyoutside of the groove 23. This strip 60 may be continuous, integral, ormade up of arc sections, and is 62 providing in their length therequisite spacing of the strips 60 from the flange 21. The strips 60 arethen tirmly held in place on the studs and against the collars 62 bynuts 63 screwed on to the studs (51 and against 60 the strip (30. Thestrips (50 are spaced from the flange 21 by a distance less than thediameter of the '1 heads 51 of the bolts 50. This spacing, in coactionwith the groove 23 in the flange 21, serves to lock the bolts 50 fromradial disengagement from the closure. 65

In order to provide means for individually removing the bolts 50 withoutdisturbing others, the strip (it) is so designcd and located that it isjust without the line oi the bolts 50; that is, the inner circumicrenceoi the strips (30 is not less than the circnmlerencc ol the circleexternally tangent to the bolts 50 when in operative or bolted position.With such a structure the bolts 50 may be individually removed axiallyby first unscrewing their nuts 53.

In order to quickly remove the head 4- ol the tank 1 70 and still retainthe bolts 50 in their respective circumferential positions with respectto the tank 1, the nuts 53 are partially unscrewed and the bolls 50swung about the T heads 51 as an axis, the heads retaining a bearing inthe groove 23 until the bolts contact with the strips 60, where theyremain in inoperative position. This description applies to the bolts onthe upper half of the tank closure. Those on the lower half may hang ina vertical plane, resting by the T head 51 on the two edges In'ovided bythe strips (51 and one edge 01 the groove 23. The bolts cannot, however.be removed through the spaces between the strips (50 on the flange 21because this space is narrower than the diameter of the T head 51. Whenit is desired to replace the head 4 on the tank, it is brought intoposition with the slots 41 registering with the slots 21.

The bolts are then swung back into their respective sets of registeringslots and the nuts 53 are tightened.

It, [or any reason, one or more of the bolts 50 are to be removedentirely from the closure, the nut 53 is entirely unscrewed and the boltis shoved axially back through its sets oi slots 21, ll, and so removed.

It is old in the art to provide a rigid stop directly in line with thebolts and make the T heads oval in section with the major axistransverse to the shank of the bolt; and to space the stop from the tankflange a distance slightly greater than the minor axis 01' the bolthead, countersinking the bolt head in a groove in the tank flange, as inthe present invention. Such a means provides for the removal 01' thebolts laterally. Such a stop also locks the bolts from radial removalfrom the closure in all but this one position. The present inventionobviates the disadvantage ol' such a structure in that the bolt headsneed not be oval in section. Also, it is cheaper and easier to supportthe locking strips from a plain flange surface rather than support thestop from the bottom of an annular groove semioval in section. Anotheradvantage is that the bolts on the bottom of the closure Where the tankis horizontal, will not drop out as soon as the nuts are loosened. Inapplicants case there can be no dropping out nor any removal of thebolts radially from the closure. The only way the bolts may be removedis by removing the nuts and axially or longitudinally shoving them fromtheir position in the slots of the flanges. It is also old in the art toapply separate spiings bolted to the tank or annulus, to the individualbolt heads to prevent the bolts from being removed. Such a structurebecomes more easily disarrangecl and is less positive in action than thepresent invention.

In accordance With the provisions of the patent statutes, the principleof operation of the invention has been described, together with theapparatus which is now considered to represent the best embodimentthereof; but it is desired to be understood that the apparatus shown ismerely illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by othermeans.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a tank provided with a flange adjacent an endthereof, of a head adapted to act as a c-osure for the end of said tank,said flange and said head being provided with slots, bolts provided withheads and shanks, the shanks of said bolts being adapted to be receivedwithin the slots of said flange and said head with their heads engagedagainst said flange, said tank being I provided with means against whichsaid bolts are adapted to engage to prevent the removal of said boltsfrom said slots by turning said bolts upon their heads as pivots whileat the same time permitting removal of said bolts from said slots bymoving them endwise therethrough.

2. The combination with an open-ended tank provided with a flangeadjacent its open end, said flange being provided with slots, of a headfor the end of said tank provided with slots adapted to register withthe slots in said flange, bolts provided with heads and shanks adaptedto be received Within said slots with their heads resting against saidflange and provided with means for clamping said head against said tank,said flange being constructed with a bolt-retaining part on said flangeoutside of said bolts to retain said belts in said slots when swungoutwardly against said part, said part being spaced from said tank so asto permit the removal of said bolts between said part and said tank byan endwise movement of said bolts.

3. The combination with an open-ended tank provided with a flangeadjacent its open end, said flange being recessed and provided withtransverse slots, of a head for the 'end of said tank provided withslots adapted to register with the slots in said flange, bolts providedwith heads and shanks adapted to be received within said slots withtheir heads resting against said flange and in the recessed portionthereof, said bolts being provided with means for clamping said headagainst said tank, and a member so cured to said flange outside of saidbolts toretain said bolts in said slots when swung outwardly againstsaid member, said member being spaced from said tank so as to permit theremoval of said bolts between said member and said tank by an endwisemovement of said bolts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. DE WEIN.

Witnesses JoHN DAY, Jr., R. M. STONE.

